Tim Keane

DECEMBER 14, 2009

   We worked all day building market strategies for customers while we tried to embody our expertise on software that would expand the company's reach.     We worked all day building market strategies for customers while we tried to embody our expertise on software that would expand the company's reach. 

Burn Rate 60

Burn Rate Angel Groups Seed Stage Startup 60

Tim Keane

MARCH 9, 2011

But, what constitutes success for the parties involved – investors, entrepreneurs, employees, and customers – can vary dramatically. Misaligned interests that lead to poor financing choices are often very problematic for first time entrepreneurs in young companies.   I’ve written a lot about that topic ( [link] ).

Finance 83

Finance Bootstrapping Startup Equity 83

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 19, 2006

Due diligence: An Entrepreneurs Perspective » October 19, 2006. The customer comments were entirely negative. We communicate to customers and competitors by how we price, and it is not simple to change. The customer comments were entirely negative. Startups and angels: Along the way to success. Enter your Email.

Software Review 60

Software Review Wisconsin Technical Review Angel Investor 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Long term thinking -- for entrepreneurs. While it isn't always top of mind for entrepreneurs caught up in the rush of running and growing their businesses, long term thinking, including thinking about relationships, is pretty important. . « Technology versus market risk in angel investments | Main. |

Wisconsin 68

Wisconsin Entrepreneur Illinois Startup 68

crowdSPRING Blog

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Though ThriftyWrench is only available in western Wisconsin currently, they are hoping to expand into the Minneapolis-St. To make our service even better, in the coming months we will be adding a repair shop review section where you will be able to see real ratings from verified customers to make this process even easier for you.

Small Business 64

Small Business Minneapolis Wisconsin United States 64

Tim Keane

MAY 27, 2010

.   We had a customer and a value proposition.   We were fortunate enough to have customers like Boston Store, Carson’s, Penney’s, Sears, GNC – and they loved our exceptional customer service and ability to deliver a better value to their customers – and more sales and customer satisfaction to them.

Bootstrapping 60

Bootstrapping Startup America Employee 60

Mike Michalowicz

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Seth makes extensive use of social networking tools, and web videos to maximize the impact of his training. Seth also worked as an Auditor for United Government Services, a division of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin auditing Medicare cost reports under contract with HCFA (Health Care Financing Administration) from 1996 to 1998.

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Video SEC Bankruptcy Wisconsin 60

Tim Keane

JANUARY 11, 2013

« Long term thinking -- for entrepreneurs | Main. |  Sales goals have to involve first hand knowledge of the possible (how often people will buy, how much, what the demand is, why, etc.)  coupled with an ongoing creativity about solving customer problems to win the order. Startups and angels: Along the way to success.

Wisconsin 89

Wisconsin Angel Investor Startup Bootstrapping 89

Tim Keane

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

I'm in Dublin this week and was at the Halo Business Angel Network meeting on Monday evening. All of us like leaders of ventures who:  Have a passion for the customer, and a deep understanding of the customer's business.  « Choosing the right corporate form for your enterprise | Main.

Ireland 60

Ireland Wisconsin Angel Groups Bootstrapping 60

Up and Running

OCTOBER 23, 2014

For example, in 1994 Jeff Bezos founded Amazon from his garage in Washington, and Harley-Davidson started out of a home—and a shed—in Wisconsin. entrepreneurs start their business at home. From finding customers to tracking inventory, there are a lot of chores that you’ll need to handle. “A Finding customers. Hard work.

Wisconsin 119

Wisconsin SBA Business Plan Government 119

online.wsj.com

JULY 11, 2012

Customer Center. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com. and Groupon Inc., —has naturally won support from entrepreneurs. Ran gold Resources Ltd. View All Search Results » |.

Silicon Valley 42

Silicon Valley Founder Software Review Technical Review 42

Tim Keane

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

It welcomes feedback from potential customers and experts, reduces the cost and risk of the startup and can potentially drive success quickly.    An average customer will spend $X per year with us because they spend three times that now.    Customer premise - who will buy and why.    Why?) 

Marketing 116

Marketing Wisconsin Startup Angel Investor 116

Tim Keane

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

I have, twice in the last week, listened to "haven't really been there, but have talked about it" types expound upon how they work with aspiring entrepreneurs (some of them students) and "really make them sweat." " Entrepreneurs represent the best of America. A couple were business coaches. .

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Startup 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 4, 2010

If your business sells to a quantifiable and identifiable group of business customers who are in the tens of thousands, or less, there's really no reason not to individually identify every one of them and track all of your contacts with them.  Any former customers from other places now working there? Market Math. Market Math.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Marketing Angel Investor Startup 60

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Please see later version of this post on May 16, 2010 Entrepreneurs are often not experts in the area of term-sheet negotiations and all of the surrounding issues.   Investors sometimes “present” the terms they’d like and expect the entrepreneurs to react. Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

Tim Keane

JUNE 21, 2011

" "What are your assumptions about how long it will take to get customers?" " "Where do you expect to find these customers?" "  "What's the current solution these potential customers are using today?" Sales to segment A will be $500 per customer.

Forecast 68

Forecast Business Plan Sales Wisconsin 68

Tim Keane

MARCH 24, 2008

You (the entrepreneur and founder of this "company") hire a call center to take calls from customers who want an inexpensive medical diagnosis. Of course, in the interest of being a low cost provider, your call center is staffed by folks with a good customer service orientation, but no medical training. Ridiculous?

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Startup 60

Tim Keane

JUNE 8, 2009

I asked an entrepreneur this question the other day.    In my case, in the first company, it was early customer selling that provided the startup cash.  These companies find capital primarily by finding customers and understanding trade-offs.  I asked an entrepreneur this question the other day. 

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Bootstrapping Angel Investor Startup 60

Tim Keane

JANUARY 14, 2009

« What Entrepreneurs and Angels Want To Know. Now Is The Time for Entrepreneurs » January 14, 2009. I'm reminded this morning about these two simple "rules" and how important they can be to entrepreneurs.   The best advisers bring expertise that the entrepreneur can't get any other way.

Advisory Board 60

Advisory Board Wisconsin Bootstrapping Angel Investor 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Long term thinking -- for entrepreneurs » October 03, 2012.  Customers  ask for demonstrations, evidence of performance, price concessions, proof of financial stability -- all of that stuff. Wisconsin Angel Network Find Information about all of the networks in Wisconsin here! Google Ads.

Technology 74

Technology Marketing Intellectual Property Montana 74

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 2, 2007

Investors love entrepreneurs who understand their business model, and can describe it accurately. And when they meet entrepreneurs that cant, it is often a sign that the management team needs strengthening - at a minimum. Are we planning for the lowest customer acquisition cost the industry has ever seen? Resources for startups.

Business Model 60

Business Model Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 60

Tim Keane

JUNE 13, 2006

A budget discussion with an entrepreneur. Growth involves, in many businesses, more customer service, product development, support, marketing and so forth – in addition to more R&D. In our first startup, my partners and I built a customer acquisition model and tested it. A budget discussion with an entrepreneur.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Entrepreneur Startup Angel Investor 60

Tim Keane

JULY 20, 2007

I was in Italy a couple of weeks ago at the request of the US State Department to discuss angel investing with IBAN, the Italian Business Angels Network. The most important person in the business is the customer. We tell entrepreneurs that who they take money from is much more important than the relative price they pay for it.

Italy 60

Italy Angel Investor Wisconsin Harvest 60

Tim Keane

APRIL 14, 2008

Can we quantify success in terms of calls, visits, customer sizes, and so forth? Can we produce a market map to track what our customers want, and from whom they are getting it? Can we quantify success in terms of calls, visits, customer sizes, and so forth? Resources for startups. Angel Capital Association website. Google Ads.

Ireland 60

Ireland Wisconsin Forecast Sales Cycle 60

Tim Keane

MAY 2, 2006

Here’s a post from Jason Caplain , a VC in Ralieigh, NC with another take that adds more meaning to the discussion about the entrepreneur being the chief sales guy. Here’s a post from Jason Caplain , a VC in Ralieigh, NC with another take that adds more meaning to the discussion about the entrepreneur being the chief sales guy.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Early Stage 60

Tim Keane

SEPTEMBER 13, 2006

Rare is the entrepreneur who at the end, whether good or bad, hasnt said "I wish Id sold more. They understand their customers and the market the customers live in. They get the idea of value creation, of delivering more for the customer than they promise. Jack Welch, certainly not an entrepreneur, was a salesman.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Distribution 60

Tim Keane

JULY 16, 2008

The Whitehorse Daily Star - good advice for entrepreneurs » July 16, 2008. The timing of all of these activities – how long to make; how fast to get orders; the customer repeat rate, and so forth. Every entrepreneur is faced with the choice of making do with less or swinging for the fences. The Lessons of Experience.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Startup Angel Investor Business Model 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 3, 2007

It means that the entrepreneur hasnt done the hard work of figuring out a business model at a detailed level, nor allocated the total investment required to achieve their goals. What should the entrepreneur do? The faster you can see repeatability from customers on the scale you estimated, the better.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Marketing Business Model IP 60

Tim Keane

APRIL 12, 2006

Ten questions the entrepreneur should ask the (prospective) investor. If they’re making it as part of a group that the entrepreneur likes, fine. If they are “solo,” though, the entrepreneur will want to know a lot about their attitudes and expectations, especially when things go wrong. » April 12, 2006.

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Valuation Sweat Equity Common Stock 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 11, 2006

  Telling a customer you are busy--when you aren't 2.    Being busy and prioritizing work based on customer criteria -- and raising prices 2.    Telling a customer you are busy--when you aren't 2.  Wisconsin Angel Network Find Information about all of the networks in Wisconsin here!

Term Sheet 60

Term Sheet Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 60

Tim Keane

SEPTEMBER 18, 2006

In a lot of startups (especially good ones) the founder/CEO/leader is a customer-oriented sales person. Because of the virtuous feedback loop right at the center of the company, innovations for customer benefit come more rapidly. Even with bumps along the way, the major customer facing components add up to more and more success.

Harvest 60

Harvest LBO Investment Bankers Wisconsin 60

Tim Keane

MAY 9, 2006

The Entrepreneurs Financial Toolbox » May 09, 2006. The entrepreneur has the opportunity to master the intricacies of his business process; his customers minute but important expectations; venture financing; people management. Wisconsin Angel Network Find Information about all of the networks in Wisconsin here!

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Startup 60

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 30, 2007

They would like businesses solving “big hairy problems” of real value to the customer. We used that information for a lot of our customers. The joke around the office was always that the systems that performed the worst had the best customer service and the best performers provided customer service that was terrible.

Wisconsin 68

Wisconsin Architecture Startup IP 68

Tim Keane

MAY 8, 2006

So Bob is right in that there really is a kind of no mans land of 1MM to 5MM for many entrepreneurs who have a legitimate ability to use professional investment in their business venture. " Possible answers might be prototypes, market tests, potential customer testimonials, or some combination of these and other factors.

Angel Investor 60

Angel Investor Wisconsin Bootstrapping Startup 60

Tim Keane

JUNE 22, 2006

If customer interest can be obtained in a live test involving revenue, valuation may rise again. The idea, therefore, is that TESTING for results is one of the fastest ways an entrepreneur can increase the valuation of her business. If customer interest can be obtained in a live test involving revenue, valuation may rise again.

Valuation 60

Valuation Wisconsin Angel Investor Startup 60

Mike Michalowicz

MARCH 8, 2013

Wisconsin is a dairy state with fabulous cheeses to choose from. They customize the message that goes in the box each season for no additional charge! This organizer is a universal, elastic organization system that gives customized digital device and personal item storage. Custom Unique T-shirts. A Chef’s Coat.

Las Vegas 138

Las Vegas Naming .Net Customer 138

Tim Keane

MAY 18, 2006

« Anticipating The Customers Needs | Main. Compensation for Entrepreneurs » May 18, 2006. These are the items I hope will be covered because they present me with a comfort level that will lead to a partner-based relationship with you, the entrepreneur. Startups and angels: Along the way to success. Google Ads.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Startup Bootstrapping 60